(Petaling Jaya, Thursday):
Even
before the Election Commission has met to decide on the dates for the Ketari
by-election in Pahang, the Barisan Nasional government has started on a
dirty and dishonest campaign to mislead the Ketari voters to unfairly
influence the outcome of the by-election result.
Last
night, for instance, TV2 broadcast a purported news item distorting what I said
in Kota Bharu on Sunday night, twisting it out of context to convey the message
that the DAP would co-operate with PAS on all matters - disregarding the fact
that DAP had withdrawn from the Barisan Alternative because of our fundamental
differences on the question of an Islamic state.
At
the Kota Bahru PAS “Solidarity with Fong Po Kuan dinner” on Sunday night, I
had said that although the DAP and PAS have gone separate ways with the DAP's
withdrawal from the Barisan Alternative, our differences should
not stand in the way of our
co-operation on issues of common concern to all Malaysians, especially in the
areas of justice, freedom, democracy and good governance.
The
Kota Bharu PAS “Solidarity with Fong Po Kuan” was one good example of a
common issue where DAP and PAS could stand
together to jointly protest against the high-handed and undemocratic
abuse of the brute majority of the
Barisan Nasional in Parliament, which became a kangaroo court last December to
punish the young woman DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, suspending her as MP
for six months without allowance for courageously discharging her parliamentary
oath of office to speak up for the people.
I
said in Kota Bharu that this was why the DAP leadership had steadfastly held
that although we are no more in the Barisan Alternative, the DAP will continue
to co-operate with the Barisan Alternative parties both inside and outside
Parliament on the issues of
justice, freedom, democracy and good governance for the betterment and welfare
of Malaysia.
I call on
TV News to revert to their proper role as honest news channels and not continue
as propaganda mouthpieces to
unfairly manipulate and influence the outcome of the forthcoming Ketari
by-election in Pahang and ensure
that Berita Perdana stop being Propaganda
Perdana of the Barisan Nasional.
(7/3/2002)